Her mother did not object to this,
because of course Sylvia entered as a probationer, and she thought a few
months of the House of Martha life would do her good. That her daughter
would permanently join the sisterhood never occurred to her. As I was a
relative, it was a natural thing that the girl should enter a house of
which I was the head. I did not approve of the step, but at first I had
no fears about it. After a while, however, I began to have fears. She
never liked our life and never sympathized with it, and her heart was
never enlisted in the cause of the sisterhood; but after a time I found
she was endeavoring to conquer herself, and when a woman with a
will--and Sylvia is one of these--undertakes in earnest to conquer
herself, she generally succeeds. Then it was I began to have my fears,
and then it was I wished to divert her mind from the life of the
sisterhood, and send her back to the world to which she belongs."
"Then it was you gave me your promise?" I added.
"Yes," she answered; "and I gave it honestly. I would have helped you
all I could. I truly believed that in so doing I was acting for Sylvia's
good."
"I thank you from the bottom of my heart," I said; "and tell me, did
Mrs. Raynor know, when I was on the island, of my affection for Sylvia?"
"She knew as much as I knew," was the answer, "for I went to the island
on purpose to consult with her on the subject; and when you confided in
me, and I gave you my promise to help you, I also told her about that.
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